Wausau shoppers choosing to buy local on Black Friday [Video]

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – Black Friday might be known for its big box store deals, but shoppers in downtown Wausau are choosing to shop locally instead.

While Nov. 30 is Small Business Saturday, stores along Third Street had shoppers breezing in and out of the doors since opening on Friday morning.

Jane Janke Johnson, co-owner of Janke Book Store, says she saw hundreds of people come in.

“It’s a lot of out-of-town families here for the holidays, for Thanksgiving, and they just love to shop here,” she said.

The 150-year-old bookstore saw old customers returning to shop.

“Every day is Small Business Day to us, and people support us year-round, which is awesome,” Janke Johnson said.

Newer businesses also made impressions on first-time shoppers.

“It’s so exciting. We have been looking forward to this day since we opened, and it’s just fun to see these groups of people come in and go shopping and spend time together,” Gabrielle Shier, co-owner …